Remote: Early in Career

Hello,

I was wondering how little/much it matters being in the office while early in your career? I’ve read a couple articles like this one (Why in-person workers may be more likely to get promoted - BBC Worklife) I assumed that this would not be much of an issue for someone well established and very senior. Do you get a lot from going in to the office opposed to just staying at home and doing your work? Many thanks in advance.

I think there is a lot you can get out of going in person.

You can see how others behave in the office and learn the often unwritten expectations of office life. Some are good, some are bad, but you want to learn them.

It can also help learning technical skills more directly related to your job.

And it can also be a cue to your boss that you are more committed, although that is probably less true now that it was 3 years ago.

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Do people still go into offices these days? We have the option, but pretty much my entire department is remote in a post COVID environment.

We were mostly 100% in the office prior to COVID. This would matter a whole lot more prior to 2020.

So, in the case of my company, it can’t matter because nobody is in the office. Can’t speak for companies that have gone back to 100% in the office with COVID, but I’m under the impression that most companies are still remote now.

If there is an office atmosphere, then I think it is very valuable to be part of that early in your career. Face to face makes training, and communication so much easier

As things are now, if supervisors, or coworkers are not going in, then it would be a waste to go in just for the sake of being in the office

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As PatientZombie describes, it’s a bit of a catch-22. If it’s an active office then going in is definitely useful. If it’s a hybrid office then the value diminishes.

Either way, if you’re in the office I think you need to be intentional about making it worth being there, rather than stewing in your cube that you’re not remote. And if you’re remote you’ve got to be deliberate about making the effort so you still form those kinds of connections that you’d have formed in person.

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It definitely depends on the office and how many are IN the office.

I’ll only be in 3 days a week. You’ll still be able to enjoy the other two. I’m just not telling you which 3 days it’s going to be in a given week.

How much do you hate people?

I think some companies still go into the office. As for mine, they are kind of rolling out a hybrid schedule for managers as COVID is on the decline.So I am not sure if going in would be worth it. The office is not really big, in terms of the team, just me and my boss. We have some UWs in the office and assistants. In the Before Time we would go out as an office to celebrate each other’s birthdays. Not sure if that would be considered active…

I wouldn’t say I hate people, but I do not like them either, just tepid on the subject. Not too big on the socializing scene, probably why I chose to be an actuary. I guess it could be kind of awkward as I do not really have much to say after the usual pleasantries of: “How’s your weekend”, "How are you?

:laughing: seems a reasonable conclusion